


The Glitch and the Sketch

by The_Lich_Queen



Category: Undertale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aftertale (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Inktale (Undertale), Anti-Void, Multiverse, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 10:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24349696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lich_Queen/pseuds/The_Lich_Queen
Summary: "*it is laughable really- why trust someone who lies and kills just because they can?"'*If I call with my SOUL one last time. Will they hear me?'"*Don't leave me alone.""*let's go together."
Kudos: 24





	1. The Glitch

"*it is laughable really- why trust someone who lies and kills just because they can?" A deep emotionless voice with a hint of a glitch rang out through the darkness.

Sans the skeleton, was once a melting glitch doomed to be forever bound to the SAVE SCREEN of a world damned to an eternal Genocide Route; his SOUL tore apart so that only a fragment, a shard remained, while the main part RESET- And another Sans took his place- this was due to his own error, since it was by filling his long-suffering SOUL with DETERMINATION, he became this way.

Living constantly in pain- his bones felt like they were continuously melting, blood and liquid bones pour from his battered form. And the glitches that plagued his bones, seemed to be ripping at his atoms or code, relentlessly.

The broken pieces of his mind kept agonizing day and night; the memory of the deaths of his brother and loved ones- he never slept or ate in the limbo he was thrown into; repeatedly observing and witnessing the genocides between the files of his dark realm.

When the child Frisk entered into his domain, his first thoughts had been to end the existence of his murderer. While in the middle of destroying the fake child, he realized that there was another SOUL, living alongside the SOUL of Frisk: The First Child, Chara.

Sans halted his attack on the child Frisk; he then offered peace and forgiveness, in return the glitch wanted Frisk to get Chara to cease their actions. Frisk agreed.

Thus Sans began to scheme: Yet he needed the help of his counterpart since he could not leave this place without melting.

So with the knowledge of past timelines, he used to gain insight into what 'Sans' would do and say. In doing this, he was able to secure the trust of his other half.

If only that had worked.

Time after time he had failed.

... and the Sans of the SAVE SCREEN viewed the ongoing slaughter and massacre of the monsters. The pointless genocides.

The glitchy Sans had taken on the name 'Geno'. A reminder for him of the SOULs who had been exterminated through these genocides.

In time Geno's DETERMINATION reshape his powers- he was able to do slightly more, which gave him a sliver of hope.

That hope was spectacularly crushed.

Geno's conclusion- the total destruction of their world; in doing so, bringing closure to those SOULs who perpetually died.

The glitch became devious is the way he handled his SOUL twin- he learnt how to be sly, crafty, manipulative, deceitful, deceptive. Becoming more clever, sharp-witted, skilful with each encounter. Needing to be resourceful, inventive and imaginative with the limited movement he had in the SAVE SCREEN.

After centuries of endurance, his world was freed from its never-ending story; however not through conquest, not through the termination of their world.

The child Frisk promised no more RESETs.

"*it is laughable really- why trust someone who lies and kills just because they can?" Geno says once more dully- the glitch peers at the screen from the depths of the dark, cold, SAVE SCREEN- And yet he believed in them, he wanted to so badly.

The skeleton cuts off all emotions, not wanting to feel anything... his orbits are dry, there are no more tears to cry, no more screams to choke out, no more trust to freely give.

The worst part of all this; it was the monsters who agreed to the RESET.

And all it took was a single name: Asriel.

Frisk mentioned the flowery Prince. Declaring how they wanted to save and every monster in the underground, he humbly asks the King and Queen to return to that time and find away.

Geno recalls that moment, he had been sitting half towards his twin munching on Toriel's pie- he felt like he was dying again. Because he knew the answer the goat monsters would give. Thus the former glitch had begged and pleaded with them, explaining how bad their lives had been in that eternal loop- surely he was living proof just how insane this kind of force was.

Papyrus. His dear sweet brother, who always wanted to best for everyone; Papyrus wanted to save his little flower friend too.

Then his other self, who should know better- but no, the child lures him in as well, whispering convincing words. Telling tales of scientists and lost time before the Core- of Lost SOULs. The answers of the machine in the basement, who was one behind those: 'Don't Forget!'.

The King and Queen said that they gave it a week after a week had passed they said that all monsters should vote. During this time Geno kept insisting implored the King and Queen desperately - It was hopeless. Of course, they wanted their beloved child back.

The night before the 'final' RESET, the monsters held a celebration in Frisk's honour- the saviour of the monsters was going to help more monsters! Geno had listened to that joyful festival, weeping bitterly from his room.

The morning after, Frisk came to him, speaking to him like Geno was the one who should understand like Geno was the one in the wrong. In front of everyone- what did it matter?

It is not like any monster will keep their memories.

Yet Geno would right? He would be damned to the SAVE SCREEN.

And he will not forget the way the other monsters looked at him, those questioning looks of disbelief, distrust and wariness that had been aimed his way.

Frisk also told him, that he wished that Geno would heal, that he could return whole SOULed with Sans. And be the real 'Sans' once more.

'TRUE RESET'

That was new.

Geno had never heard of this TRUE RESET.

Imagine his surprise when he realized that Frisk themselves, did not remember. And that the SOUL of Chara had come back- a TRUE RESET had started their story from the very beginning.

However, Geno was in the SAVE SCREEN.

  
Blood pours out of an open wound across his ribs- it started from the centre of the right side of his clavicle, over the first two upper ribs then deeply downwards through his sternum, then partly his false rib (11th), breaking his true ribs (5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th) and lastly, the tip of his left hip bone.

  
Blood also came from his teeth, dripping off his mandible.

Then there was the burning melting holes that went across every bone, blood and liquid bone, forever pouring out of them.

There was always the sound of static with him. And whenever he walked, the broken audio of his final moments would follow from his walking cycle- footsteps walking across marble flooring that echoed.

Lastly the glitches- they returned with vengeance. They moved in different areas on his bones, breaking and resulting in codes, making it painful to even move now that he was no longer used to the feeling any longer.

Geno was a little happy that his right eye and half of his right side of his skull was not a melted mess- it was still damaged and he could not fully open it, but his dark blue-rimmed glasses had somehow managed to come through with him.

The glitch glances downwards, the clothes from 'that' day had also come with him.

Geno was wearing midnight blue comfortable jeans, a black sleeveless turtleneck jumper, and black slippers; over his jumper, his white lab coat. Wrapped around his neck, his dead brother's red scarf. Tied around his middle by the sleeves, his own classic blue jacket.

The fragment of his SOUL had turned completely red- he was filled with DETERMINATION. Perhaps this was what kept him helped him survive the TRUE RESET- he had been playing with it just before the child RESET.

The skeleton was a monster who once was but would never be again.

Geno now was a complete system ERROR. The Code and files kept trying to make an account for him being there, glitching the world itself in order to remain stable, to patch this mistake.

At this rate, there was not going to be a world for Frisk to save...

Geno grins like mad.

He no longer had to fight- all he needed to do was remain still. For some reason, the glitching had opened up the universe's Code for him. He saw the very make-up of everything. And it was mainly all in ones and zeros- if he destroyed some important files, the universe would cease to be.

"*it is laughable really- why trust someone who lies and kills just because they can?" Geno says insanely, grinning like mad; Geno had been lying for a long time and he had killed that child hundreds of times because he could.

Geno found the whole thing humorous as he reaches his left hands towards the Codes of his universe.


	2. The Sketch

....white...

  
The incomplete monster lived in a world void of any colour.

Only slight black and grey hues...

And white.

So much white.

Empty white space left blank. Clear and free of anything and everything. The barren universe was abandoned or on permanent hiatus. The monster stood there, in the perpetual white earnestly asking his creator above to free him from this indefinite, uncertain state.

He was a creature with only a foundation of basic code for Sans_Charater- nothing more than a quick sketch of a skeleton monster, knowing only the bare bare minimum when it came to knowledge.

So he understands how hopeless his situation was.

Sans the Sketch desperately tries to communicate with the other monsters in this world; in time he became downhearted, despondent and disconsolate.

The other monsters tried to understand him, however, the miserable truth was, no one but Sans had a SOUL. So they simply could not care, they had no emotions to do so.

They had been renounced by the one who made them and they could not even feel mournful about this fact.

Sans merely stared out into the plain, lifeless, motionless expanse- it began eating away at his sanity. What would he give to see colour, something he only knew through his basic database- these thoughts made him far deeper into despair.

There were times he was in a frenzy, screaming towards heaven, trying to let them hear, trying to express his extreme emotion of anguish that bubbles within his SOUL.

Sans cries to the point where his socket became raw with dark grey tears; he shouts and laughs until he loses his voice if only to hear something. His noises were the only things he could hear; sometimes he thought he was deaf and had to move the paper around to be sure.

The silence was just as painful as the endless white encircling him.

At other times he tore parts of his sketch-like bones, finding pleasure from watching his dark grey blood pour to the white floor and pale grey dust flow away- it would vanish too quickly for his liking since the flow brought movement to the motionless world.

Some days he spent aimlessly wandering through the black pages of his story, searching high and low for any kind of a script- with his basic Sans code in him, he knew some parts of the original he was based on, however, his maker had begun overwriting it to create their own. It was erased so many times and then deleted completely. If he had read his own pieces of the script before, he had already lost all traces of it in his memory.

It was his memory that was first to go- only his name remained.

The longing to live, to survive this play in mind. Still, suicidal thoughts entered in due to his wretched existence. Bitterness towards the one of made him crept in at one moment of weakness, which he quickly eradicate in fear that the one who created him was still listening in.

The sketch sat in his 'bedroom', a roughy shaped square that had sketchy markings where things were meant to be. The skeleton brothers home was one place that had different shades of greys and blacks in it, so he would come and stare at them for hours on end.

Sans glances to the oval thing known as a 'mirror'- since his world was not fully formed, it only worked some of the times, at other times, it was just a white oval with four lines going down, to show it was meant to be a mirror.

Today it was working and the sketch got to stare at himself.

Light greys and dark greys of a pencil sketch stares back at him- the bones of his left hand were completed, it went up to his forearm bones and then became messy on his humerus. His whole right arm had only a basic shape of bones, his right hand was a box with quick long strokes to make fingers.

There was an outline of a box for his ribs, then sketches of the ribs within the lines. His spine was partly done. The pelvis was loosely done- one block with the basic shape.

His right leg was a neat sketch, with careful lines running through it- his left leg was a few lines and a few circles. Because of how it was done, his left leg was slightly shorter than his right, giving him a limp when he walked.

His skull had a little more detail. There was a square that hovers above his right eye socket, which was meant to be a note of some sort. His left socket was normal, a quick shading inside to give some depth.

He wore no clothes.

Falling to his knees he watches himself reach in front of his ribs and summons a SOUL. Shaped like a normal monster SOUL and was coloured in roughly with pencil markings.

Sans sobs at his appearance, wanting to finish the job himself if he had the power to do so.

Returning it to place, he watches himself move- he hated things being still because nothing moved in this place. Everyone was like dolls.

Reaching up he covers his sockets with his hands, another sob escapes his sketchy jaws.

If only someone, anyone, would come and save him.

Sans's sockets widen behind his hands.

And he listened intently.

There was a sound.

A sound he never heard behind but his database helped him to identify these noises.

It was a sound of someone walking over some sort of stone surface in an enclosed space. The sound of liquid dripping heavily upon that stone.

Which was strange, there was no one walked about. When sound did was actually emitted from his own feet, it did not make anything of these.

Raising himself up he looks around.

Nothing.

The sketch quickly rose to his feet and wobbled to the 'window', on opening it he listens earnestly, hopeful that there really was something.

It was coming from somewhere in the 'outside'.

The sketchy skeleton pushes himself away from the window, spinning around he races across his 'room' and out the 'door'. Then he held onto the banister using to hold his weight while he limps towards the stairs. And on reaching them, he sits down and hurryingly lets his rear slide downwards.

At the bottom, he ran with a heavy limp and darts out the already open door.

Where he stops and listens; he could only hear the sound of his own panting breath.

Letting out a broken sob he drops to his knees and slams his fists into the 'snowy' ground. The tears poured from his orbits, flowing down like a waterfall.

How long he cried there the sketch had no way of telling, however, he knew that he must have been there a while, since his orbits had dried.

The sketch remained on the ground, curved over staring dully at the white of the ground.

A low static hum.

The skeleton sketch took a sharp intake of breath and waits there, listening. Slowly he climbs to his feet. Then he carefully makes his way towards the static in fear that if he went too fast, it would vanish.

Thankfully the static noise continued and he wanders towards it.

Then those echoey footsteps started up again and the static began getting further again- realizing that they came from the same source, he loses his fears and tries to run towards it, not wanting to lose it.

Suddenly he sees movement for the first time that he had not caused- it was further up ahead from him.

Slowly down he continues to limp along, panting heavily, his own steps were not making any sound today. Meant that the monster in front could not hear him.

The sketch opens his jaws and tries to call out.

And his sockets widen when nothing came out.

Realizing that the monster was getting further from him, he attempts to call. And again. And again. And again.

Body tried and wore he falls to the floor with a small thud- he lay face down on the ground, groaning in despair- he gives a silent bitter laugh; why did that have to make a sound when nothing else would.

Sketch dares to look up.

His only hope was getting further away from him.

So he lifts himself and crawls. All the while keeping his sockets glued on that form.

Suddenly he sees something else.

Colour!

The Sans' database informs him of which colour this was; red.

The sketch stares at it, captivated.

Slowly raises his orbits he sees a trail of red. Leaning him to that monster.

However, the sketchy body was already at his limit.

'*If I call with my SOUL one last time. Will they hear me?' The sketch thinks to himself.

The Sketch calls out for help.

But nobody came.

Gritting his teeth and letting more tears swell in his sockets, blurring his vision, he tries once more.

The Sketch calls out for help.

But nobody came.

The skeleton began rattling loudly, shocking him greatly, it was rare that sound came from his sketchy bones. Not giving up. He tries again.

The Sketch calls out for help.

But nobo-

The static hum was in front of him.

Then the dripping.

The sketchy skeleton stares at the red drips. They held between two pairs of slipper wearing feet. Slowly his orbits rose, studying those legs and their colour. The faded blue jumper around their waist. The bloody jumper and the horrible white lab coat, which only saving grace was the red soaking through it.

It was a skeleton monster.

A complete one.

It was moving even when standing still with those strange flickerings surrounding it.

This creature had to be the most beauteous thing he had ever beheld.

The skeleton had expression.

His sockets were narrowed and his single eyelight moves to search his- his lower half was hidden behind a lovely red scarf.

Sketch reaches for him, his hand hovering between them.

The sketch opens his jaws, "*Don't leave me alone." Came a raw voice, which sounded like paper being crumpled up.

  
The skeleton returned his gesture by moving his own hand towards the sketch, who quick grasped it.

"*let's go together." Came a wonderful voice- it did not have one flat tone, it went up and down in pitch and volume. The sketch loved it. Wanted to hear more.

With surprising strenght the bloody skeleton pulls him to his feet, carefully studying his body. Those keen sockets searching every inch of him.

The sketch skeleton felt a strange burn in his bones- he had never experienced such a feeling. But before he could enjoy this new unknown sensation stirring within fear overtook him.

The sketch's grip tightens, if this perfect skeleton found fault in his ugly body, he would abandon.

As he tries to speak his legs give down and he falls forward onto the other skeleton- who becomes rigid in bones but those flickerings spend everywhere. They went up and down in waves in an amazing dance.

The new skeleton was not the only one who becomes frozen.

The sketchy one became overloaded with new NEW.

A pulse of another SOUL.

The skeleton leans against the taller skeleton, placing his skull over that blood-red ribs closing his sockets. The sticky red liquid felt incredible against his cheek, he could feel the jumpers clothe wet making another new.

He had never had a scent of any kind before, he could smell a mix of different things coming from the incredible creature in front of him.

Those flickering vibrate over the places he leans on, making him rattle in joy in reply.

The sound of static had become louder, the dripping had stopped because he was leaning into the flow.

The sketch wraps his arms around the other's ribs, unwilling to let go.

"*This is the best day of my life." The Sketch told the other skeleton, making the other move once more.

The stranger tries to pull away but it was weak. It did not seem like he was trying. Then he felt wrapping around his back- it was the first time the sketch had ever been held in this manner. The icy chill coming from the skeleton made his SOUL burn with warmth.

After a further struggle, the skeleton lowers himself slightly, wraps one arm around his femurs and lifts up him. The sketch was a little confused at first, but with a little guidance from the other, he brings his legs up and trapped the body within them. Then he leans into that skeleton's shoulder, hugging the skull and placing his own on top.

"*Please. Take me away from here," The sketch begs him, refusing to let go.

"*ok. let's leave this place." The skeleton told him the words he was longing to hear, which made the sketch cry.

The bloody skeleton waits for the sketch to finish, then opens up a window. The sketch stares in awe for a moment, then frowns at the white beyond it.

"*No more white!" The sketch pleas with him with a broken voice, turning his gaze around and staring at the red that he now noticed came from the other's mouth as well.

Their orbits met- in that left socket was now swirls of red and blue trying to merge together but failing each time. The sketch realizes he could stare at this one forever, his skull was moving to- so much lovely movement.

There was no stillness. No silence. No white.

There was another static sound and looking back, the window had become black with white dots... The Sketch Sans relaxes at the sight and leans back to the skeleton.

The skeleton began to walk, those strange footsteps started up again and he smiles at their sounds. The sketch watches as the world changes around him and marvel at their new surroundings- never once did the sketch glance back at that maddening white.

This new was awe-inspiring.

This skeleton was wonderful.


	3. X, Y, Z

The world was black- no. Not just black- the millions upon millions of stars almost made the vast space white. There were hints of colours, of purple, blues, pinks, creams, yellows and greens, all around.

Space should be a lone silent place- yet a strange noise sounded throughout the area. It was static.

Seated on a space rock which slowly floats from the island that mirrored the fate of the monsters of the understand, was the bloody glitch- the skeleton stares up in awe.

The heavens in all its glory were stretched out above, beside, below and behind him and he could not look away for a moment.

Geno had only seen the sky from the planet, being able to see if freely in space was on a whole other level.

The bloody glitch had been frozen in places for hours, merely staring at the wonderous piece of work, that was the arrangement of the stars.

So far Geno had entered only universes that had been like his own but with differences; a universe designed around space was brilliant- he had not known what to think when he saw the name Outer Tale. He just thought it was going to be a world where monsters never got trapped in the underground.

Geno blinks, his thoughts drifting back to the... few days? weeks? months? years? Time held no meaning to him since living in the SAVE SCREEN, so he could not know for sure if it really been that long.

Geno had destroyed his universe- nothing was left but a void of white.

The bloody glitch quickly discovered that he could not kill himself; he kept respawning back into that white void. So he tries to leave. And he found he could much to his eternal relief.

The glitch was able to cross into the Void, where all other universes seemed to be linked. From there he travels through the different universes. There was not as much as he thought there would be.

In the codes, the universes were named and numbered. And from there the glitch carefully began to study and learn.

At the heart of the multiverse was a Seed Universe. It could not be touched by anyone- from there other universe come out in branches.

Geno broke up the rows by using X, Y, Z.

'X' and 'Z' were the length and width, with the 'Y' for the nearest of the Seed.

The first universe to appear on his charts was an Undertale, which was a complete copy of the Seed. It was on X-1, Y-1, Z-1. And then its timeline was contained within.

So far there was ninety-nine Undertales, one on each 'Y' and spotted out over the 'X' and 'Z's; a new one appeared almost once a week since he began recording the patterns. The first one was marked as Undertale #1.

On Y-13 came the first universe to hold a different name; Underfell. It was a much darker place to live it. Oddly enough the first Underfell was marked out as Underfell #0.

And next came Reaper Tale on Y-21. Much different from Undertale and Underfell, since it only had one universe with that name and no number. Geno did search the codes, but no, it was one of a kind.

After that came Dance Tale, on Y- 33.

And then on Y- 39 came Time Tale.

And then on Y- 44 came After Tale. Or it used to be there...

Geno realized that his universe had been the youngest so far. And it had not been given the chance to gain any copies.

Thankfully.

Geno also noted that Time Tale had no copies just yet, but it was marked as Time Tale #0, meaning some were to come later on. However, at the moment there was a gaping hole in the multiverse where he had destroyed his own universe... so it could not grow at the moment.

Geno went back to his universe twice, it had new X, Y, Z... it was X-4, Y-0, Z-4. This was strange for two reasons.

Nothing was beyond 'Y- 0'. It was a white void, much like how his universe had become. Geno hypothesizes in his notes that his universe coding had become part of this white void somehow. He needed to study this further.

The second thing was the 'X' and 'Z'. Geno recorded the place where his universe once lived in the multiverse, it had been X-10, Y- 44, X, 11. Somehow the placement was off, again he linked this up to become a part of that white void.

Geno had wondered if him destroying his universe had scarred the multiverse and needed time to heal.

Again, he did not know how long he drifted between the different universes but when he saw a new one appear, he had mixed feelings over the matter.

The new one was Outer Tale, appearing on Y- 101, which was a large gap. Geno questioned if something was blocking his newfound vision of the code to the one in the middle.

The glitch drags his mind away from his thoughts and focused once more upon the stars.

Geno smiles at the magnificent display above.

Then he took his sockets away and gazes down at the small skeleton curl upon his lap. Even when he was asleep Sketch refused to let go of him. Why he decided to bring him along he did not know.

It had been a few days since then and life had already changed since his new companion came into it- the Sans seemed to know of things, he did not 'know' them. Everything was new and exciting for him. And Geno had to explain the world around them him.

Geno smiles sadly down at him.

There was a place that was between and beyond yet still part of the multiverse. Here this realm grew new universes or rather, the concept of a universe. There should be no living SOULs during this time.

Then there was nonillion of concept universes trying and failing to form. Only a small number manage to keep living even if they escape the realm.

Geno had yet to give this area a name.

So when he found was bubbling close to the surface of this realm, in order to read the code, which was basic- he slips through and discovered a half-formed world.

And was surprised to find a living SOUL.

The bloody glitch ran a hand over Sketch's sketchy skull.

Sketch was broken too. Not in the same way as Geno.

Geno was a glitch at the end of his story, while Sketch was a concept sketch just beginning his, that never truly formed.

Both of them left trails.

Geno a trail of blood, and strange noises and sounds.

Where Sketch walked, he would drain it of colour, leaving behind greys, black and whites. This came to a great shock to him and cried for hours.

Geno noticed that the greyscale would become colour once more after a couple of hours. After doing a couple of test with a stick, it seemed the longest Sketch held onto it, the longest it would take to return to its proper colour code.

Thankfully Geno did not lose his colour when Sketch touches him, so the sketchy skeleton clung to him for dear life.  
  
In the end, Geno carried his new friend around everywhere since then.

Which may have been a good thing; Sketch has a bad limp, he moved awkwardly but always kept a smile on his jaws.

The bloody glitch walks slowly thanks to the intense pain he was always in; he was so good at hiding it that Sketch had no idea that every touch, every hug was agony for him- but still he continued to hold him, with one arm wrapped around his legs and the sketch's rear sitting on his shoulder, he always placed his hand one his skull.

Geno did not know what to do with this new life he had been given- it was not like he could die and there was no way he could destroy each and every universe. While he was able to erase his own with ease, it was a lot harder to do to other ones. ... he had tried.

Surely his universe was proof of that all others was a mistake. While none was as bad as his one had been, other miserable ones could raise in the future. And then there was Sketch's world, who could not even have the chance to live. How many other universes had SOULs growing within them, lost and confused?

In Geno's mind, there should really only be the one universe. The unreachable Seed.

Geno did not know what to do with his life now, but one thing he did know, he was going to teach Sketch the joy of life and never let him see the horrors.

Suddenly he frowns.

'*wasn't this what i did what papyrus?' Geno thought to himself, staring down at the sketchy skeleton, 'if i teach him only the good. he will not understand the bad when it comes his way.'

Geno decided then and now that he would not withhold anything from the sketch.


End file.
